MLSE defends rising Maple Leafs ticket prices amid growing fan backlash

Any chance Toronto's last-place finish in 2025-26 would stop a rise ticket prices was dashed as even standing room spots went up.

Published Aug 26, 2026  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Fans watch warm-ups prior to the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins at Scotiabank Arena last season. Getty Images

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The Maple Leafs’ on-ice fortunes sank last season, but individual game ticket prices are going up — again. 

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And that has faithful fans fuming, with their team not in a Stanley Cup final in almost 60 seasons — let alone winning one — and which just missed the playoffs in its 24-year run of failing to get past the second round. 

Average ducats in the highest reaches of Scotiabank Arena in 2026-27 will cost between $150 and $270.

Standing room for the Sept. 29 season opener against the Montreal Canadiens is currently $268.58 on Ticketmaster.

An actual seat just below that deck drops to $162 the next game when the New York Islanders are in town, but back up to $281 in standing room for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton OIlers on Nov. 14. 

The cheapest standard seat averages $215, peaking at $350 to $400 for games against Montreal and Edmonton.

What are fans saying?

When the prices were released to the public earlier this week, fans predictably were outraged.

“I get there’s McKenna hype but you absolutely cannot price tickets like this after how last season went fam,” one user replied to the team’s announcement on X.

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“This is why the atmosphere sucks, it’s all rich people,” another commented.

“Hey guys so how much will the tickets cost if this team actually ever wins something? Bc this is insane,” a third user wrote.

Several others attached screenshots of the prices for seats in the upper deck or for standing room that they felt were way out of line.

What did MLSE say?

However, in a statement from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to the Toronto Star said, the organization noted there had been a 2% increase across the board, defending that as “lower than the national inflation rate.”

“Dynamic pricing, which was introduced years ago across the sports industry including in Toronto, gives fans a range of price options, with higher prices for the most in-demand games and lower-priced tickets available for other games,” the statement said.

MLSE, whose combined value of sports-related properties is abound $17 billion, has rarely frozen ticket prices, other than in 2004-05 when the previous NHL season was lost to a lockout.

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Leafs season-ticket prices in some sections jumped 20% from last season.

But two things to keep in mind: There remains steady demand to see the Leafs in their 19,000-capacity home, which keeps superceding the team’s recent record; and annual fan outrage at inflated prices has yet to make an meaningful impact on attendance.

[email protected] 

X: @sunhornby

— With Dan Bilicki files

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